Search Results (20)

This paper proposes a structured design framework and system architecture for a non-intrusive spatial system aimed at supporting child behavior in everyday domestic environments. Rooted in ethical considerations, our approach defines four core behavior-guided design strategies: routine recovery, emotion-responsive adjustment, behavioral transition induction, and external linkage. Each strategy is meticulously translated into a detailed system logic that outlines input conditions, trigger thresholds, and feedback outputs, designed for implementability with ambient sensing technologies. Through a comparative conceptual analysis of three sensing configurations—low-resolution LiDARs, mmWave radars, and environmental sensors—we evaluate their suitability based on technical feasibility, spatial integration, operationalized privacy metrics, and ethical alignment. Supported by preliminary technical observations from lab-based sensor tests, low-resolution LiDAR emerges as the most balanced option for its ability to offer sufficient behavioral insight while enabling edge-based local processing, robustly protecting privacy, and maintaining compatibility with compact residential settings. Based on this, we present a working three-layered system architecture emphasizing edge processing and minimal-intrusion feedback mechanisms. While this paper primarily focuses on the framework and design aspects, we also outline a concrete pilot implementation plan tailored for small-scale home environments, detailing future empirical validation steps for system effectiveness and user acceptance. This structured design logic and pilot framework lays a crucial foundation for future applications in diverse residential and care contexts, facilitating longitudinal observation of behavioral patterns and iterative refinement through lived feedback. Ultimately, this work contributes to the broader discourse on how technology can ethically and developmentally support children’s autonomy and well-being, moving beyond surveillance to enable subtle, ambient, and socially responsible spatial interactions attuned to children’s everyday lives. Full article

Current research on aged housing prioritizes community planning and environmental enhancement over older adults’ needs, creating a retrofit mismatch amid population aging. To investigate the relationship between indoor environmental quality and residential satisfaction among elderly occupants, this study examines 72 households in aged residential buildings, analyzing four environmental indicators (thermal, lighting, acoustic environments, and air quality). The environmental measurements reveal that 81.9% of thermal environment parameters fall below the ASHRAE-55 comfort range, with winter average temperatures reaching only 13.94 °C. Insufficient illumination exists in kitchen and bedroom areas. Lifestyle patterns including infrequent air conditioning use (87%) and window ventilation substituting range hoods (32%) may deteriorate thermal comfort and air quality. An ordered logistic regression analysis demonstrates significant correlations between all four environmental indicators and elderly satisfaction levels. Thermal comfort emerges as the priority focus for aging-adapted retrofitting. Air quality improvement shows particularly significant potential for enhancing residential satisfaction. Although prolonged window opening (73%) exacerbates low-temperature/high-humidity conditions and noise exposure, it still contributes positively to overall satisfaction. This research provides crucial insights for aligning aged residential retrofitting with home-based elderly care requirements, promoting housing development that better accommodates the lifestyle patterns of older populations, thereby improving quality of life for aging-in-place residents. Full article

The Australian Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety has highlighted the chronic shortages of labour to provide care for those aged 65 and over in rural and remote areas of Australia. This descriptive cross-sectional study compares the availability of care provision in metropolitan regions with that in rural and remote regions. We analysed the 2021 Australian Census, grouped according to Aged-Care-Planning Region (ACPR), and investigated the numbers of people aged 65 years and over with different levels of care need, both in residential care and in-home. The available workforce in each ACPR was also examined in detail, using occupational classifications reported in the Census, and shortages of doctors, nurses, allied health and other care workers were identified. Overall, an additional 492,416 care hours were needed per week (or 12,958 full-time equivalent (FTE) care workers) in order to bring remote community ACPRs to parity with provision in metropolitan ACPRs. A further 95,342 FTE workers were needed in rural ACPRs to bring these areas to parity with metropolitan ACPRs. Our findings underscore the ongoing disparities in aged care workforce availability between metropolitan, rural, and remote regions of Australia. Addressing these workforce shortages is crucial to ensuring equitable access to care for older Australians, regardless of their geographical location. The implementation of targeted strategies to enhance workforce recruitment, retention, and training in these underserved areas is essential to bridge the gap and improve the quality of care provided to older adults in rural and remote communities. Such strategies could include targeted recruitment campaigns and incentives for professionals to relocate; further capacity for clinical placements and supervision in rural areas; tailoring funding and employment models for rural needs; and strengthening vocational education in regional areas. Full article

Background: Family caregivers of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) face numerous challenges in long-term planning, which have been exacerbated amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Specific triggers raise awareness of future planning needs, but barriers like painful emotions and exhaustion often impede the process. This study aimed to explore Hong Kong (HK) caregivers’ perspectives on long-term planning for family members with ID at the later period of the pandemic. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological approach was utilized. In-depth interviews regarding experiences with long-term care preparation during COVID-19 were conducted with 12 purposively sampled HK caregivers of adults with ID. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s method. Results: Four key themes emerged: planning a loved one’s future alone, the burden of arranging care for disabled loved ones, planning a child’s future care amid family tensions, and the pandemic worsening future caregiving worries. Conclusion: Caregivers urgently require encouragement and support from policymakers and professionals to build confidence in long-term strategy and access robust assistance. Implications include identifying caregiver concerns, aiding gradual planning implementation, increasing respite options, and facilitating discussions regarding future residential care homes. This study provides initial valuable insights into an overlooked population during an unprecedented crisis. Full article

The design and construction of residences for persons with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have been based on the recommendations of design guides, the results of empirical tests with samples of the population, and the experience of architects and planners. The reiteration of certain patterns, criteria, and guidelines has given rise to a new type of building that has not yet been explicitly described. The aim of this paper is to determine the main characteristics of this typology. This research is based on a critical review methodology, analysing 30 care homes built over the last four decades across various global contexts. Detailed surveys of plans, projects, and buildings were carried out, allowing a comparative analysis of the architectural attributes to determine the most influential parameters for these buildings. The results indicate that environments designed with safety, accessibility, and opportunities for social interaction in mind—and, above all, those that are personalised to the needs of this collective—significantly enhance the behaviour, emotional state, and cognitive state of their residents. The main theoretical contributions include identifying and stating the key features of this type, such as small scale, basic cell housing, comprehensible organisation, and sensory stimulation of spaces, among others. The breakthrough of this study that differentiates it from other works in this field is that it provides concrete guidelines to approach the planning, design, and construction of these kinds of residences. The significance of this research lies in the definition of this unique typology, which is not characterised by its morphology, shape, or formal composition but rather focused on promoting an adequate cognitive and physiological reception of the space by the users. This building concept has important management implications, as its construction must provide for and integrate specific care services in a residential setting for people with AD. Full article

As the aging population in China increases, home-based elderly care is set to become the main mode of elderly care in the future. The construction of community elderly care service facilities is receiving more and more attention from society. Currently, residential area design standards in China lack clear guidance on the spatial planning of facilities, which will lead to unreasonable facility layout planning and insufficient convenience in the utilization of facilities by the elderly. Fully considering the distribution characteristics of community elderly care service facilities and the needs of the community life circle when planning residential areas can effectively solve this problem. This study takes Xi’an City as the research object, based on the theory of life circle, through questionnaire surveys and cluster analysis, analyzes the current situation of the construction of elderly care service facilities and the characteristics of the use by the elderly. Combined with the community life circle model, the study scope is divided into community life circle levels, and put forward the planning strategies of coverage rate, number, richness, and spatial layout of the facilities, respectively. These strategies are designed to enhance the quality of life for seniors, ensuring that they have access to essential support and resources within their communities. It demonstrated that middle-aged elderly prefer community canteens and activity centers, while those with limited mobility and multiple chronic diseases have a higher demand for health service centers and community canteens. The utilization weight analysis shows that vegetable markets and supermarkets are most frequently used, whereas health service centers are the least utilized. The research proposes strategic planning enhancements, including full coverage of basic facilities, targeted increases in high-demand facilities, and tailored facilities for elderly characteristics. It recommends cross-community layouts to ensure service radius coverage, development reservations for future needs, and quality improvements to address the low satisfaction rates of existing facilities. The study concludes that a targeted approach to facility planning, considering the elderly’s diverse needs, can enhance the community elderly care service system’s sustainability and effectiveness. Full article

The increasing elderly population is driving higher utilization rates of long-term care facilities, where residents often have multiple chronic diseases, making them potential candidates for palliative care. Timely palliative care interventions can improve their quality of life and medical autonomy. This study systematically reviews the effectiveness of palliative care programs in long-term care facilities. Databases such as PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Airiti Library were searched up to 31 December 2023, using PICO criteria and the following keywords: ‘care home’, ‘nursing home’, ‘residential aged care facility’, and ‘long-term care facility’ for patients; and ‘Gold Standard Framework in Care Homes’, ‘integrated care pathway’, ‘care home project’, and ‘palliative care program’ for interventions. Seven articles were included. The results indicate that the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) intervention did not significantly influence overall quality of life but did improve the quality of death. There were no statistical differences in comfort or quality of death between the dementia and non-dementia groups. However, PACE significantly reduced healthcare costs. The implementation of the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) notably enhanced the control of terminal symptoms, while the Gold Standard Framework in Care Homes (GSFCH) effectively improved end-of-life care rates, do-not-resuscitate (DNR) signing rates, advance care planning (ACP) completion rates, and reduced inappropriate readmission rates. While palliative care interventions are shown to improve the quality of end-of-life care, their practical application should be adapted to fit the implementation conditions and capabilities of domestic long-term care facilities. Full article

Background and Objectives: The number of residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs) is expected to increase. Determining the epidemiological situation in the context of organizational conditions is therefore extremely important for planning the necessary future activities in the field of infection prevention. The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence rates in Polish nursing vs. residential homes, in the context of the medical and functional burdens of residents and the organizational conditions of both types of units. Material and Methods: the data that were analyzed came from a point prevalence survey of infections and antibiotic consumption in LTCFs, conducted in accordance with the HALT-3 protocol in Poland in 2017, between April and June. Results: This study included a total of 2313 residents in 24 LTCFs. The most common risk factors for infections in the study population were urinary and fecal incontinence (77.0%), impaired mobility (the patient was in a wheelchair or lying down) (68.7%), and impaired spatial and temporal orientation (52.5%). The median prevalence in nursing homes (NHs) was 3.2% and that in residential homes (RHs) was 0.7%, but without statistical significance. The median for the entire group was 2.6%. A total of 93 healthcare-related infections were detected in 91 residents. The most frequently reported forms of infections were urinary tract infections, lower respiratory tract infections, and skin infections. A statistically significant positive correlation was found only between the percentage of residents with pressure ulcers and other wounds and the incidence of gastrointestinal infections (correlation coefficient = 0.413, p < 0.05). Infection prevention and control measures were implemented mainly in nursing homes, and in residential homes, only hand hygiene procedures were commonly available. Conclusions: For the two types of LTCFs, the epidemiological situation in terms of nosocomial infections is diverse. Consequently, both types of facilities require different approaches to infection control and prevention and outcomes analysis. Full article

This quasi-experimental, nonrandomized intervention study reports the effect of person-centred, culturally appropriate music on psychological wellbeing of residents with advanced dementia in five rural residential aged care homes in Australia. Seventy-four residents attended in person-centred music sessions and culturally appropriate group sessions. Interest, response, initiation, involvement, enjoyment, and general reactions of the residents were assessed using the Music in Dementia Assessment Scale (MiDAS), and interviews and focus groups were conducted with aged care staff and musicians. The overall effect of person-centred sessions at two-time points were: during the intervention—351.2 (SD 93.5); and two-hours post intervention—315.1 (SD 98.5). The residents presented a moderate to high level of interest, response, initiation, involvement, and enjoyment during the session and at post-intervention. However, the MiDAS sub-categories’ mean scores differed between the time-points: interest (t₅₉ = 2.8, p = 0.001); response (t₅₉ = 2.9, p = 0.005); initiation (t₅₉ = 2.4, p = 0.019); and involvement (t₅₉ = 2.8, p = 0.007), indicating a significant decline in the effect of person-centred music over time. Interestingly, during the period of time, most of the residents were observed with no exhibitions of agitation (87.5%), low in mood (87.5%), and anxiousness (70.3%), and with a presentation of relaxation (75.5%), attentiveness (56.5%), and smiling (56.9%). Themes from qualitative data collected regarding culturally appropriate group music sessions were behavioural change, meaningful interaction, being initiative, increased participation, and contentment. The findings suggest that the integration of music into care plans may reduce the residents’ agitation and improve their emotional wellbeing in rural aged care homes. Full article

This observational study examines and estimates the trends and impact of population ageing on rural aged care needs in Australia. With its universal health system and subsidised aged care system, Australia is among those countries with a long life expectancy. Being a geographically large country with a relatively small and dispersed population presents challenges for equitable access to aged care service provision. While this is widely acknowledged, there is little empirical evidence to demonstrate the magnitude and location of the aged care service provision gaps in the next decade. We performed time series analyses on administrative data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare GEN databases. The Aged Care Planning Regions (ACPR) were classified according to geographical remoteness using the Modified Monash Model scale. There is currently a shortfall of 2000+ places in residential aged care in rural and remote areas of Australia based on 2021 data. By 2032, population ageing will mean that an additional 3390 residential care places and around 3000 home care packages will be required in rural and remote communities alone. Geographical disparities in aged care exist in Australia and continue to worsen, requiring immediate action. Full article

Few intergenerational programs have focused on virtual learning. This paper explores the impact that a virtual intergenerational learning program had on primary school students and older adults at a residential aged care home. This study reports on the findings from a single case study design involving interactions across two sites, consisting of primary school students (n = 41), teachers (n = 2), a principal (n = 1), plus elders (n = 9) and staff (n = 4) from an aged care home. Questionnaires were completed by all participants, except for the school principal. Observations of the program interactions were captured via video ethnography. Data were also evaluated from semi-structured interviews of students (n = 16), parents (n = 2), teachers (n = 2), a principal (n = 1), elders (n = 9) and staff (n = 5) from the aged care home. The findings reveal that intergenerational programs must pay close consideration to the planned activities, participant characteristics, learning environment, equipment, and facilitator interactions and skills, particularly in a virtual space. In addition, this study finds continued evidence for the success of virtual intergenerational practice programs to reduce social isolation and exclusion, especially when we practice social distancing. Full article

This paper constructs an evaluation index system for the suitability of community home and institutional elderly care land development, respectively, from different elderly care modes with the data of urban POI, OSM road network, and expert questionnaires in Changsha urban area in 2021, in order to alleviate the pressure of insufficient land for elderly care brought on by the increasingly serious aging problem. The suitability evaluation index system is based on the intersection of Thiessen polygons with the current elderly care facilities as the center point as the supplementary land for the elderly and explores the optimization path of the land for the elderly in combination with the existing residential land in Changsha. The results show the following: ① The spatial variation of land suitability for both community home and institutional elderly facilities is significant, exhibiting a pattern of “high in the middle and low in the surroundings, with high-value areas clustered in the center of the city, decreasing in suitability toward the periphery, and occasional scattered clusters in the suburbs.” Among them, Furong District has the highest proportion of suitable areas for the elderly; ② Utilizing Changsha’s Tianxin and Yuhua districts as case studies, the optimal path of land use for the elderly are investigated to provide a foundation for land use planning for the elderly in Changsha. Full article

Building an aging-friendly city is necessary, considering the unprecedented demographic shift of the aging population. It is necessary to study the built environment conditions surrounding the elderly’s residential areas. This study examines the density, diversity, and design (3D) features around the two typical elderly communities, which are community-based care and the nursing home. Then, the equity analysis is conducted from the social and spatial perspective. We use the 3D framework to measure the built environment around elderly communities. The essential features of an aging-friendly community are used to assess the built environment around the elderly communities. Moreover, we analyze the social and spatial equity of the elderly communities from the facility level and the town level. From the facility level, the 3D features of the elderly communities and the whole communities are compared to identify the social disparity among groups. From the town level, the average values of the 3D features are aggregated to each town, and then the attribute values of the towns are compared to reveal the spatial gaps and spatial mismatch areas. Results found that the spatial distributions of the 3D features around elderly communities present the center-periphery patterns. This study also found that a social disparity exists between the elderly communities and the whole communities. Moreover, there is a spatial mismatch between the diversity of facilities, road connections, and the number of elderly. Towns located in the fringe area are with a high number of elderly, but with a low diversity and road connections. The findings of this study can help planners and decision-makers to optimize the living facilities for old people and inform the gap in planning an aging-friendly city. Full article

This study aims to, first, investigate the quality of life (QOL) of older adults in Taiwan, from the perspective of heterogeneity and, second, clarify the social isolation affecting their QOL during the pandemic. Additionally, it explores the residential stability of older adults. Our empirical model, a Generalized Ordered Probit Model, uses secondary data from the 2019 Taiwan Social Change Survey for people aged 65 and above, with a total sampling size of 417. The results show that the self-assessed physical health of older adults is a significantly heterogeneous variable affecting their QOL, and has a varying impact on the probability of them being satisfied with their QOL. Results suggest that better financial plans and staying healthy are the main determinants of their QOL. Social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic significantly hampered their QOL, which was not compensated by the use of the internet. Furthermore, older adults’ residential stability significantly influences their QOL. Family members and relevant social work units should contribute to in-person home care for older adults to reduce their social isolation, with a focus on improving their living environments and to ensure that they age in a safe and healthy place. Full article

Healthy ageing refers to the development and maintenance of the functional ability of ageing individuals. Aged care nurses provide nursing care to elderly individuals and usually work in aged care residential facilities, nursing homes, home care services, and/or hospital departments. The registered nurse working in the aged care sector has several important roles. Key roles cover both therapeutic and preventative paradigms, as discussed in this paper. The aged care nurse is also “tasked with” holistic patient-centred care and the promotion of healthy ageing via advocacy and sociocultural roles. This paper examined, described, and analysed the multifaceted role of an aged care nurse from an Australian perspective. We conducted meticulous searches using PubMed, Google Scholar, government guidelines, authoritative body regulations, quality control guidelines, and government portals pertaining to aged care nursing in Australia. This paper relied upon the information garnered from publications, reports, and guidelines resulting from these searches and analyses. Multiple aspects of healthy ageing and holistic aged care nursing are discussed. The key roles of the aged care nurse are enumerated next, in accordance with the code of conduct from the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). The NMBA promotes evidence-based, culturally sensitive, consultative, holistic aged care clinical practice that includes input from care recipients, their decision makers, and/or their health care providers. The difficult issue of loneliness is discussed with strategies to ameliorate aspects of this. Good social networks, community interactions, meaningful friendships, and participation in personalised spiritual/religious practices improve the quality of aged care. The key topic of elder abuse and its forms are discussed apropos of aged care nursing. Healthy ageing is promoted by identifying and reporting elder abuse at the earliest. Current Australian law and recent federal legislation changes pertaining to aged care nursing are discussed next. As a result of these legislation changes, several new quality control imperatives (for aged care organisations/facilities) under the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) have been implemented. Residential and flexible aged care providers should now have robust ongoing documentation and a well-developed behaviour support plan (BSP) for each care recipient who currently requires or may require restrictive practices, which must be reported under the new serious incident reporting scheme (SIRS). Various strategies to promote healthy ageing and approaches to communicate effectively with aged care recipients are also discussed. Healthy ageing is promoted when age care recipients are empowered with making their own autonomous choices in “major and minor” aspects of life. Finally, approaches to optimise quality aged care nursing care are discussed. The Roper–Logan–Tierney model is one of the models used to assess and optimise nursing care. This is premised on the capability of an ageing individual to accomplish 12 basic activities of daily living. Full article